Chuck Morrell, a former UW assistant coach, is joining Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer in an off-field capacity.
Before the 2024 season, three former Washington football staff members made a comeback at Alabama.
The football staff directory for Alabama now includes Chuck Morrell, the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach for UW; Ron McKeefery, the head strength and conditioning coach; and Ali Smith, the executive assistant to DeBoer.
Smith will stay on as the head coach’s executive assistant, although Morrell and McKeefery are regarded as special assistants. Prior to Monday, Morrell and McKeefery were two of the last members of DeBoer’s 2023 Washington staff without responsibilities for the 2024 season.
On February 19, DeBoer formally appointed Kane Wommack as his defensive coordinator. Colin Hitschler and Maurice Linguist were appointed by the former Washington coach to oversee his secondary. David Ballou, Alabama’s head strength and conditioning coach, was also kept on by DeBoer.
For Morrell, a devoted follower of DeBoer, it represents a departure from the field. The two got together while Morrell was a player for Sioux Falls in the late 1990s. He was the defensive coordinator for the Cougars for 11 years, including the five seasons DeBoer led the team.
For the 2020 campaign, DeBoer got back together with Morrell, bringing him in from Montana Tech to take over as Fresno State’s safeties coach. In the interim, he would share defensive coordinator responsibilities with linebackers coach William Inge. With Morrell and Inge in charge, the Bulldogs witnessed a noticeable uptick in performance, and safety Evan Williams—who later transferred to Oregon—was chosen for the first team of the Mountain West in 2021.
During DeBoer’s two years at Washington, Morrell’s defenses contributed to the team’s 25-3 record. Alex Cook, a safety, was chosen for the Pac-12 2022 second team. But in 2023, the UW defense gave up 406.7 yards per game, which ranked 96th out of all FBS teams. UW gave up 24.8 points per game, which was 54th in the nation.
McKeefery is also a longstanding associate of DeBoer. Before moving up to Washington in 2022, McKeefery also joined DeBoer at Fresno State, where they had previously collaborated at Eastern Michigan in the middle of the 2010s.
Morrell and McKeefery join JaMarcus Shephard, the wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and former UW tight ends coach Nick Sheridan, who is currently the Crimson Tide’s co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Ryan Grubb, the former offensive coordinator for the Seahawks, briefly consented to work alongside DeBoer at Alabama before departing on February 9. Although Scott Huff, the former offensive line coach at the University of Washington, first chose to accompany DeBoer to Tuscaloosa, Grubb also brought Huff to the NFL. Additionally brief was Inge’s tenure at Alabama, when he joined the team in February 19 to serve as the outside linebackers coach before taking a job coaching inside linebackers in Tennessee.
On December 15, former UW defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield was hired by San Diego State defensive coordinator Eric Schmidt, who had previously served as special teams coordinator and coach of the outside linebackers. Lee Marks, a former running backs coach for Washington, will take over at Memphis in the same role.
Julius Brown, the coach of cornerbacks, is the only member of Washington’s 2023 on-field staff who has not publicly disclosed his new role for 2024.
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Ryan Grubb, the former offensive coordinator for the Seahawks, briefly consented to work alongside DeBoer at Alabama before departing on February 9. Although Scott Huff, the former offensive line coach at the University of Washington, first chose to accompany DeBoer to Tuscaloosa, Grubb also brought Huff to the NFL. Additionally brief was Inge’s tenure at Alabama, when he joined the team in February 19 to serve as the outside linebackers coach before taking a job coaching inside linebackers in Tennessee.
On December 15, former UW defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield was hired by San Diego State defensive coordinator Eric Schmidt, who had previously served as special teams coordinator and coach of the outside linebackers. Lee Marks, a former running backs coach for Washington, will take over at Memphis in the same role.
Julius Brown, the coach of cornerbacks, is the only member of Washington’s 2023 on-field staff who has not publicly disclosed his new role for 2024.
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